Process and apparatus for sorting elongated articles such as bobbin tubes of textile machines

ABSTRACT

Elongated articles such as bobbin tubes are sorted automatically by providing each tube with two bands having different spacings for different article characteristics, e.g. color. The band spacings of the articles are detected automatically, e.g. electrically where the bands are conductive, by conveying the articles successively past different sorting stations, each responsive to a particular band spacing, at which removal of detected articles is effected automatically.

O United States Patent [72] Inventors (iigrgio legna, [56] ReferencesCited Giulio e Vallemwso, Vercelli, Italy UNITED STATES PATENTS [211 P750,983 3,021,949 2/1962 Hogg m1 209/82X [221 Aug-711968 3,144,9268/1964 Edelman 209/111.7x [45] Patented Feb. 16,1971 3 I52 256 l l9 4 Zk I Se 27 1967 6 uc eta 209/lll,7lX [321 1 3,301,398 1/1967 Ammen 209/81[331 My 3,405,877 10/1968 Jenny 209/82X [311 53149-A/67 3,409,12911/1968 Sperry..... 209/1 1 1.8 3,446,351 /1969 Born 209/11 1.7 PrimaryExaminer-Allen N. Knowles [5 AND FOR Attorney-Sughrue, Rothwell, M", Zmn& Macpeak ELONGATED ARTICLES SUCH AS BOBBIN TUBES 23 2 5? M g ABSTRACT:Elongated articles such as bobbin tubes are 1 sorted automatically byproviding each tube with two bands [52] US. Cl 209/73, having differentspacings for different article characteristics,

209/81 e.g. color. The band spacings of the articles are detected auto-[51] Int. Cl. B07c 5/344 matically, e.g. electrically where the bandsare conductive, by Field of Search 209/72, 8], conveying the articlessuccessively past different sorting sta- 111.7, 111.6, lll.8, 82,250/223, 224, 219 (Id), (dc); 209/73 tions, each responsive to aparticular band spacing, at which removal of detected articles iseffected automatically.

Patented Feb. 16,1971

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v Patented Feb. 16, 1971 Q etss 2 PROCESS AND APPARATUSFOR SORTING ELONGATED ARTICLES SUCH AS BOBBIN TUBES OF TEXTILE MACHINESThis invention relates to a process and apparatus for automaticallysorting elongated articles such as bobbin tubes employed on textilemachines. I

It is known that, in order to distinguish the various lots of threadbeing processed in textile machines, variously coloured bobbin tubes ofcardboard, plastics or the like are employed. In operations followingspinning, twisting or the like, the empty tubes are loosely collected incontainers and have therefore to be sorted according to their differentcolours before reuse. Sorting is tedious, time-consuming work when doneby hand. V

Depending upon the extent of production, sorting of the tubes has beencarried out previously by hand, employing a large number of workers and,since the manual sorting operations are rather time consuming, a'verylarge stock of tubes is required.

An object of this invention is to obviate the above drawbacks byproviding a process by which the sorting is carried out automaticallywithout requiring manual workers. A further object of the invention isto provide apparatus for carrying out the sorting process which issimple and inexpensive, accurate and reliable in operation.

According to the invention a process is provided for effecting automaticsorting of elongated articles such as bobbin tubes employed on textilemachines in accordance with different characteristics such as colour,the process being characterized by the following steps: (a) affixing toall the articles two spaced-apart annular bands, the spacing of thebands being constant for all the articles having the samecharacteristic; (b) conveying the articles providedwith said bands overan endless conveyor provided with a plurality of spacedapart sortingstations equaling in number the number of different articlecharacteristics, each sorting station comprising scanning means operableonly upon detection of two said bands of the appropriate spacing on atravelling article, and expelling means operatively associated with thescanning means for expelling from the conveyor at said station onlythose articles which have caused operation of the scanning means, and(c) collecting the expelled articles in a respective container at eachsaid station.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the followingdescription, given by way of example only, with reference to theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a bobbin tube of the kind which issorted by the sorting process according to a preferred embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 2 13 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of apparatus forcarrying out the sorting process according to said embodiment;

FIG. '3 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2, and

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an enlarged detail of thesaid apparatus.

Bobbin tubes 1 (FIG. I) are conventionally made of plastics, cardboardor the like and are generally of a slightly tapered shape. r,

According to the invention the tubes 1 are each provided with twoannular bands 2, 3 of electrically conductive material. The bands 2, 3may comprise respective bands of electrically conductive paint. One band2 is spaced by a fixed extent form one tube end, and the second band 3is arranged at a centerline spacing L from the first band 2, the spacingL depending upon the colour of the tube. Consequently, all the tubes 1of the same colour have a constant band centerline spacing L, La, Lb,Lc, Ld according to the colour of the tube.

The tubes 1 prepared with spaced bands 2, 3 as above may be quicklysorted in accordance with the centerline spacing L of the two conductivebands 2, 3 by the apparatus shown in FIGS. 2 4.

The apparatus has an endless conveyor, such as a belt 5, provided withvertical sidewalls 6, 6. A plurality of sorting stations 7, 7a, 7b...are arranged at equal intervals along the conveyor belt 5, each stationbeing capable of identifying the tubes 1 of a given colour and expellingthem from the belt 5 by causing them to fall into respective containers8, 8a, 8b... arranged at the respective stations 7, 7a, 7b... Thus atthe end of their travel over the belt 5 all the tubes 1 have been sortedautomatically depending upon their colour and collected in thecontainers 8, 8a, 8b... for direct conveyance to their place of use.

The tubes I reach the endless conveyor belt 5 over a chute 4 from aconveying plant known per se, not shown, so as to be admitted onto thebelt 5 at a predetermined frequency such as one tube every 3-4 seconds.The tubes 1 are admitted in a longitudinal direction, with theirlongitudinal axes arranged parallel to the direction of advance of thebelt 5.

Each sorting station 7, 7a, 7b... arranged along the belt 5 comprisestwo pairs of symmetrically arranged electrical contacts 9, 9', 10, 10'projecting through respective slots in the opposite respective sidewalls6, 6. The first pair of contacts 9, 9' in the direction of advance ofthe belt 5 is spaced from the second pair 10, 10' by a distance equal tothe respective centerline spacing L between the respective bands 2, 3 ofthe respective tube 1 to be selected at that station 7. Each pair ofcontacts 9, 9', and 10, 10' comprises a pair of spring elementsextending symmetrically from both sides of the belt 5 towards thelongitudinal centerline thereof and carried by respective stationarysupports 11, 11 and 12, 12' attached externally to the respectivesidewalls 6, 6'.

In operation of the apparatus, the spring elements of each pair ofcontacts 9, 9 and l0, 10' are spread apart by the travelling tubes 1carried by the belt 5, each tube 1 being thereby scanned by the contactpairs successively. If the centerline spacing L of the two conductivebands 2, 3 on a tube 1 corresponds to the spacing of two respectivecontact pairs 9, 9, l0, 10 at a sorting station7, a respective circuit14 (FIG. 4) is completed, the said circuit 14 including the two saidcontact pairs 9, 9', and 10, 10' in series. The contacts 9', l0 situatedon the same side of the belt 5 are interconnected by a lead 13.

Completion of the respective circuit 14 causes energization of a relayand timer unit 15, which in turn closes a further circuit 16 includingthe coil of an electromagnet 17 having a movable armature 18. Thearmature 18 is connected by a pivoted link 19 to an expelling device 20comprising a hinged flap 20a, which, when the electromagnet 17 isdeenergized, forms a smooth continuation of one of the sidewalls 6, andan integral lever arm 20b, to which one end of the link 19 is attached,the arm 20b extending outwardly from a vertical hinge 21 at one endofthe flap 20a.

The electromagnet 17 is energized when said further circuit 16 isclosed, retracting its armature l8 and causing the flap 20a to swingdiagonally over the belt 5 into the position shown in broken lines. Thedevice 20 is arranged downstream of the contacts 10, 10', the flap 20abeing disposed opposite an opening 22 in the sidewall 6'. When the flap20a has been moved into the broken line position, the tube 1 whichinitiated the energization of the electromagnet 17 is deflected from thebelt 5 by the flap 20a to pass through the side opening 22 and fall intothe respective underlying container 8, not shown in FIG. 4.

If, however, the tube 1 travelling between the two contact pairs 9, 9and 10, 10' of a station 7 has a centerline spacing L of its conductivebands 2, 3 different from the spacing of the respective contact pairs,the respective circuit 14 is not completed and the tube 1 travelsundeflected through the station 7 on the belt 5 until it reaches the onestation at which the spacing of the respective contact pair correspondsto the centerline spacing of the bands 2, 3 on the tube 1.

The sorted tubes 1 are withdrawn from the respective containers 8, 8a,8b... into which they fall after sorting and are conveyed to their placeof use.

The above described process dispenses with the need for an attendant forsorting the tubes manually, the sorting operation being capable of beingcarried out at high speed and therefore permitting a reduction in thetotal number of tubes 1 required in circulation.

It will be understood that constructional details may be widely variedwith respect to the above-described specific disclosure and drawingwithout departing from the scope of the invention as defined in theclaims. Thus, for example, the tubes 1 may be provided with highlyreflective bands rather than the conductive bands 2, 3; the sortingwould then be effected photoelectrically, the bands cooperating withphotoelectric sensing devices instead of the mechanical contacts 9, 9'and l0, 10'. The use of other scanning means for the tubes 1, such, forexample, as magnetic or fluidic means, also falls within the scope ofthe invention as defined in the claims.

We claim:

1. Process for effecting automatic sorting of bobbin tubes of differentcolors comprising the steps of: providing each bobbin tube with twolongitudinally spaced-apart regions separated by a predetermineddistance selected in accordance with the colors of the bobbin tube, theinter-region spacing being the same for all bobbin tubes of the samecolor; conveying the bobbin tubes singly in succession in the directionof their length on a conveyor through successive spaced-apart sortingstations equaling in number the number of different bobbin tube colorsand scanning thebobbin tubes at each sorting station by automaticscanning means responsive upon detection of a bobbin tube having theappropriate inter-region spacing to cause removal of that bobbin'tubefrom the conveyor at the station.

1. Process for effecting automatic sorting of bobbin tubes of differentcolors comprising the steps of: providing each bobbin tube with twolongitudinally spaced-apart regions separated by a predetermineddistance selected in accordance with the colors of the bobbin tube, theinter-region spacing being the same for all bobbin tubes of the samecolor; conveying the bobbin tubes singly in succession in the directionof their length on a conveyor through successive spaced-apart sortingstations equaling in number the number of different bobbin tube colorsand scanning the bobbin tubes at each sorting station by automaticscanning means responsive upon detection of a bobbin tube having theappropriate inter-region spacing to cause removal of that bobbin tubefrom the conveyor at the station.